Jaishankar discuss Afghanistan's situation with his Russian counterpart

Moscow, July 10: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the issue of Afghanistan occupied a lot of attention during a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, given its direct implication for regional security. Speaking at a joint press conference in Moscow, Jaishankar stressed the need for an immediate reduction in violence in Afghanistan.

 

 

"In terms of specific regions, of course, the situation in Afghanistan occupied a lot of our attention because it has a direct implication for regional security. We believe that the immediate need of the day is really a reduction in violence," he said.

 

 

"And if you have to see peace within Afghanistan and around Afghanistan, that's important for India and Russia to work together to ensure that much of the progress we have seen in economic and social and democratic terms are maintained," the external affairs minister said.

 

 

As the Taliban's is capture more parts of Afghanistan, Jaishankar underlined that whoever governs the country has a legitimacy aspect to it "which can not and should not be ignored." He said that India and Russia are committed to "independent, sovereign, united and democratic Afghanistan."

 

The two leaders also talked about what was happening in countries like Syria, Iran and Libya as both India and Russia have long-standing interest in the region, he said. "We believe peace and stability in such a sensitive region is very important for global interest," the minister added.

 

 

Earlier today, Jaishankar met Russia’s deputy prime minister Yury Borisov and also delivered a speech on “India-Russia ties in a changing world” at Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow. Speaking at the event, Jaishakankar said that India-Russia relations have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War.

 

The external affairs minister, who is on a three-day visit to Russia, acknowledged that there have been changes in the bilateral ties and issues over a period of time. But at the end of the day, Jaishankar said, the “logic of geo-politics was so compelling that we barely remember these even as minor aberrations.”